NASA is revolutionizing wildfire response with advanced airspace management and drone technology that enables aerial firefighting 24/7, even in low visibility.
By developing and testing the Portable Airspace Management System (PAMS), NASA is ensuring that drone operations are safer and more effective during wildfires. These suitcase-sized devices help pilots avoid collisions, share flight plans, and maintain communication without relying on the internet.
NASA mission to improve aerial response to wildfires
NASA is working with wildfire response teams to develop advanced tools to address some of the toughest firefighting challenges, especially nighttime aerial operations.
In the future, drones, both remote-controlled and fully autonomous, could play a larger role in fighting wildfires. To accomplish this, NASA has recently been testing new technologies with teams across the country. These improvements will allow aircraft, including small drones and helicopters equipped with autonomous control systems, to monitor and extinguish wildfires 24/7, even in low-visibility conditions.
Overcoming the limitations of aerial firefighting
Currently, aerial firefighting operations are limited to daylight hours or clear conditions, as poor visibility increases the risk of aircraft colliding with terrain or other firefighting aircraft. NASA’s airspace management technology aims to change this by allowing drones and remotely piloted aircraft to operate safely at night, giving emergency services more time to extinguish fires in the air.
“Our goal is to provide new tools, including airspace management technologies, for around-the-clock drone operations to respond to wildfires,” said Min Xue, project manager for the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations ( ACERO ) project in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “This trial will provide valuable data that will allow us to refine this technology for real-world use.”
Mobile Airspace Management System (PAMS): A Breakthrough
Over the past year, ACERO researchers developed a portable airspace management system (PAMS) that drone pilots can use to safely direct aircraft toward wildfire response operations while operating the drone from a remote control system or ground control station.
Each PAMS, about the size of a carry-on suitcase, is equipped with a computer for airspace management, a radio for sharing information between PAMS units, and an automated dependent surveillance transceiver for gathering information on nearby air traffic, all housed in a durable, portable case.
NASA’s PAMS software allows drone pilots to avoid mid-air collisions while remotely piloting aircraft by tracking and sharing flight plans with other aircraft on the network. The system also provides basic information about fire location and weather. A drone equipped with communications equipment acts as an aerial communications relay for PAMS units on the ground, allowing them to communicate with each other without relying on the Internet.
Testing PAMS in real-world situations
To test the PAMS units’ ability to share and display critical information, NASA researchers placed three units in different locations out of sight of each other in a hangar at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. Researchers stationed at each unit entered a flight plan into their system and observed each unit successfully share flight plans with other units over the mesh radio network.
The researchers then worked with team members in Virginia to test the ability to transmit radio communications in the air.
Simulate realistic wildfire conditions with multiple drones
Researchers have equipped a long-range vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a camera, computer, mesh radio and automatic dependent surveillance transceiver to receive information about air traffic. The team flew the aircraft and two smaller drones at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, deliberately operating them out of sight of each other.
The largest drone radio network has successfully connected with small drones and many ground radio devices.
NASA researchers then tested the PAMS units’ ability to coordinate via an airborne communications relay to simulate real-world operations.
At Monterey Bay Academy Airport in Watsonville, California, engineers flew a winged drone with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities from Overwatch Aero, establishing a communications relay with three different PAMS units. The team then flew two smaller drones nearby.
Final Check: Resolve Conflicts and Update Climate
Researchers tested the ability of PAMS units to receive communications from Overwatch aircraft and share information with other PAMS units. Pilots intentionally submit flight plans that may conflict with each other and intentionally fly drones outside of previously approved flight plans.
PAMS units have successfully alerted pilots to conflicting flight plans and operations outside of previously approved areas. They also share aircraft locations with each other and display weather updates and simulated fire location data.
The trial demonstrated the potential use of PAM devices in forest firefighting operations.
“This test is an important step towards improving aerial coordination during a forest fire,” Xue said. “These technologies will improve forest fire prevention, reduce the impact of large forest fires and save more lives,” Xue said.
The future of NASA technology to fight forest fires
This year, the team will conduct flight evaluations to further refine these wildfire prevention technologies. Ultimately, the project aims to transfer this technology to the fire protection community.
The work is led by the ACERO project within NASA’s Aeronautics Research Directorate and supports the agency’s advanced air mobility mission.
